Sewing machine and method



Dec- 4, 1962 J. K. MORRISSEY SEWING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed May 25, 1960 INVENTOR. JEROME K. Moam'sssv FTTO/ZN 5 United States Patent 3,666,628 SEWHNG MAQHENE AND METHOD .lerome K. Morrissey, Cleveland Heights, Ohio (253% Lorain Road, North Olmsted, Ohio) Filed May 23, 19nd, Ser. No. 31,079 2 Claims. (till. 112-266) This invention relates in general to sewing machines, and more particularly to improvements in sewing machines to provide for expeditious stitching of a decorative design on a fabric or the like without the need to imprint or premark the design on the fabric.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a method and an apparatus arrangement for sewing a design on a fabric or the like, without the need for utilizing a premarked design on the fabric.

Another object of the invention is to provide an article of manufacture for use with sewing machines wherein said article comprises a plate-like member having a plurality of reference indicia thereon, for enabling the stitching of a design on a fabric or the like without the need of premarking the design on the fabric.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sewing machine having the latter mentioned reference indicia embodied therewith.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and a method of the above type which is simple and economical in nature, which is adapted for use with any type or brand of sewing machine, and which can be embodied or used with new machines as an integral part thereof, or which can be provided and used in the form of a demountable attachment for use with existing machines.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a generally diagrammatic, side elevational view of a sewing machine embodying, in accordance with the instant invention, a detachable plate-like member having a plurality of reference indicia thereon which provides for the expeditious stitching of a design on a fabric or the like without the need of imprinting or premarking the design on such fabric;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the reference plate member of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional View taken generally along line 3-3 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary, top plan view of the bed of a sewing machine illustrating a modification of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a view generally similar to FIG. 4 but showing a further modification of the invention.

Referring again to the drawings, there is illustrated a conventional sewing machine it) comprising a bed 12, an arm 14 and a head 16 having the conventional needle 18 and pressure foot 2% mounted thereon. The bed 12 may have a throat plate 22 (FIG. 4) attached thereto over the bobbin and in the conventional manner, with such throat plate having openings therein through which project the conventional feed mechanism to provide in conjunction with the pressure foot for movement of the fabric. The sewing machine may be of any type or brand and may be of the straight stitching type of machine, or the more recent zig-zag stitching type of machine.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 in conjunction with FIG. 1, in accordance with the invention, reference plate member 26 is provided for enabling the accurate stitching of a decorative design on the fabric or the like without the necessity of premarking the design on the fabric. Plate 26 in the embodiment illustrated comprises a genice erally planar top wall 26a and a depending flange 2st projecting downwardly from three sides (FIG. 3) of top Wall 26a. Flange 26b is adapted to more o less embrace the confronting sides of bed 12 of the machine, and thus aid in maintaining the reference plate on the bed. An opening 28 is provided through top wall 26a of plate 26 in encompassing relation to the feed mechanism and needle opening in the throat plate 22. A. plurality of reference marks or indicia 3d are provided in a line running from the right band edge (as viewed in FIG. 2) of opening 2.8, with each of said marks being spaced a predetermined amount from the adjacent marks and from the needle 13 of the machine. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, such reference marks 3d are provided in the form of holes extending through top Wall 26a of plate 26.

To form a curved line of stitching on a piece of fabric or the like, the latter is hfiid at one of the reference points 34} in spaced relation to the needle, and preferably as by means of a pointed instrument, and while the fabric is being fed through the machine by the feed mechanism. Thus, the stitching will follow a curved line, the radius of which depends on the distance between the selected reference point 3t? and the needle. It will be seen that any of the selected reference points can be utilized as the pivot point for the fabric as it is being automatically fed through the machine, and with such pivot points being changeable during the fabrics movement through the machine to selectively change the radius of the respective accurately produced curved-line stitching portion, thereby providing for an almost infinite number of decorative stitching designs on the fabric as limited by the physical size of the fabric. The reference plate 26 may also be provided with straight reference lines 32, 34 and 36 which extend through the needle point location. Guide lines 32, 341- and 36, which may be scored or printed on the plate surface, are adapted for use in sewing designs embodying straight stitching portions, and wherein such guide lines are visible through the fabric. It will be readily seen that with such an arrangement a design may be accurately produced wherein straight line stitching portions utilizing straight guide lines 32, 34 and 36 are combined with curved line stitching portions utilizing reference indicia 3d.

The plate 26 may be made of any suitable sheet-like material, such as sheet metal, aluminum sheet, or plastic, to provide an economical yet effective reference arrangement for accurately producing decorative stitching on a piece of fabric without the necessity of premarking the design of the stitching on the fabric. Plate 26 is also preferably of such material that it may be readily cut by the user, to conform to different sizes of beds for different types and brands of sewing machines, if the need arises.

For the convenience of left-handed machine operators and/or for providing for pivoting of the fabric from either side of the needle, a plurality of reference indlcia 33 may be provided extending in a straight line from the left hand edge (as viewed in FIG. 2) of the opening 28 in the reference plate. Such reference markings 38 may have the same predetermined spacing with respect to the needle as the reference markings 3h. While the reference markings 3 3 and 38 are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in the form of openings extending completely through the top wall 26a of reference plate 26, it will be readily understood that such pivot point markings could be in the form of mere depressions in such top wall, or might be merely in the form of marks painted or printed on the top surface of reference plate 25. Depressions or holes are preferable however, since the latter definitely locate the positions of the reference indicia on the plate member. In the event that such markings are not visible o 1.9 through the fabric being stitched, the markings should be of the depression or hole type as shown, so that the markings may be felt and located through the fabric without actually being able to see the same.

In the event that it is" not possible to see through the fabric as aforementioned, depressions, projections or openings 4% (FIG. or the like, could be provided on plate 26 for providing reference points for the stitching of straight line stitching portions, so that such reference points 4% could be felt through the fabric by the machine operator, and thus provide reference means for straight line portions of stitching in the event that the fabric is of such a weave that it is not possible to see through the same.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a throat plate 22 wherein reference markings 42 are integrally embodied with such throat plate instead of having a separate detachable unit, such as the arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Such reference markings 42 are utilized in the same manner as aforediscussed reference markings 36, for providing for accurate stitching of curved line portions of a design, without the necessity of premarking the design on the fabric. It will be seen that such a throat plate with the reference marking 42 thereon could be readily provided for embodiment in existing machines, and by merely replacing the convent-ion-al throat plate by means of the conventional fasteners 44, with a throat plate embodying the reference markings of the invention.

Referring now to FIG. 5 there is shown in plan view a bed 46 of a sewing machine including a throat plate 22 and wherein the reference markings 4? for a right-handed machine operator are marked on the throat plate and on the bed proper of the machine, and with reference markings '5? being provided on the left hand side of the bed for a left-handed machine operator. Also FIG. 5 illustrates the use of the aforementioned reference markings 40 as embodied in the bed for straight line stitching portions and wherein the fabric is of a type which is not able to be looked through.

From the foregoing description and accompanying drawings it will be seen that the present invention provides a novel article of manufacture or apparatus arrangement for embodiment in existing or new sewing machines, for providing for the expeditious stitching of a decorative design on fabric or the like, and without the necessity of premarking the design on the fabric, such reference markings providing for the accurate sewing of curved line portions of a design and for the sewing of straight line portions of a design either singularly or in combination, and for both instances when it is possible to view the bed of the machine through the fabric and when the fabric is of such a Weave or nature that it is not possible to view the bed through the fabric,

The terms and expressions which have been used are terms of description and not of limitation and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown 01' described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

I claim:

1. An article of manufacture for use on a sewing machine for enabling the machine operator to stitch various decorative designs on a fabric without thenecessity of premarking the design configurations on the fabric,

said article comprising, a sheet-like member of a thickness which will not dispose the fabric at a material height from the work supporting plate of the machine, said member having an aperture therethrough, said aperture bein adapted to register with the needle opening and feed mechanism of the machine, the under surface of said sheet-like member beingadapted to be placed in contact with the top surface of the work supportingplate of the machine, means on said member for locating the aperture position with respect to the work supporting plate of the machine, a plurality of spaced point reference indicia disposed in a line adapted to extend generally transversely of the feed line of the machine and in spaced relation to at least one side of said aperture, said reference indicia being so oriented with said aperture for general alignment with the needle of the machine, said reference indicia defining centers of curvature adapted for selective holding coaction by the machine operator and through the fabric from the top side thereof, to enable the machine operator to rapidly produce curved sections of the stitching design, and a plurality of other reference indicia on said member, said other indicia being generally linearly extending in directions generally transverse of the first mentioned line of reference indicia and from at least one side of said aperture, imaginary extensions of said other reference indicia intersecting at a common point in said aperture, said other reference indicia providing guide means for enabling the machine operator to quickly and accurately produce straight line sections of a design on the fabric.

2. An article of manufacture in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means on said member comprises depending flanges.

References @ited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 271,728 Miller Feb. 6, 1883 1,577,649 Mark Mar. 23, 1926 2,580,101 Johnson Dec. 25, 1951 2,751,869 Walcoif June 26, 1956 

